Asia - Page 1

Stay up to date with the latest Asia updates from the global tunnels industry

Latest Asia Update

Eastern expanse
29 October, 2015
Construction for metro projects, with events such as the World Cup on the horizon, is driving the demand for tunnelling Qatar. Other cities in the Middle East are also investing in infrastructure development, growing the market for tunnelling across the region. Keren Falwell reports.
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Chennai challenge
30 June, 2015
Can India’s coastal city get its subway on track to deal with ageing infrastructure and a rapidly expanding population Robbins technical writer Desiree Willis investigates.

Tale of two tunnels
26 February, 2014
Engineers from Ayesa take a look at the detailed design for construction of NATM tunnels on the Ovulavaripalle to Venkatachalam railway line in Andhra Pradesh, India.

Tread softly
26 February, 2014
In the wake of devastating floods in northern India last June, environmentalists have accused hydropower infrasturcture of causing a man-made disaster. Mahendra Bisaria, of Gammon Infrastructure, defends the use of hydropower by exploring the region’s geology and the development process for such projects.

Opportunity rocks
27 December, 2012
Hong Kong develops into the main base of operations for the Asia Pacific, while Singapore strives to become to hottest destination for professionals, and both scrap for skilled labour. Alex Conacher speaks to three expats

Fifty shades of brown
27 December, 2012
Slurry handling on Singapore’s Downtown Line Two contract 916 has been cited as an example of ‘slurry done right’. This paper by Gwyn Jones, deputy construction manager and tunnel manager for McConnell Dowell discusses the principles of managing slurry during tunnelling operation with particular reference to tunnelling in mixed face

High pressure sea crossing
18 October, 2012
A slurry TBM is cutting through the sands deep under Zhanjiang Bay, China, to provide a crucial water link to and island steelworks. A tight schedule and a 42m head of water are upping the pressure on the project. Tunnels editor Jon Young visits the site

Traditional shields
15 October, 2012
Japan-based Hitachi Zosen has been manufacturing TBMs since 1967. Yasuharu Hanaoka of the manufacturer’s industrial machinery business unit notes the decline in the open, semi mechanized shields that the company did brisk business within previous decades, as closed EPBMs and slurry machines have come to prominence. He explores the technology, and gives a recent example of a ‘traditional method’ shield in operation

Two worlds of tunnelling
03 July, 2012
The Middle East stays strong on tunnelling for its new dream cities, while a belt of hydropower projects buoys the African market. Alex Conacher reports

Delhi digs
19 June, 2012
With a metropolitan population of over 16 million, a failed foray into privatised bus services and cars choking up one of the densest road networks in India, need for a metro has never been more pronounced. Alex Conacher interviews designer Mohan Gupta and Delhi Metro Rail Corporation spokesman Anuj Dayal to get the jewel of India’s infrastructure crown into perspective

Finishing India’s longest
18 June, 2012
Following tunnel excavation breakthrough last September, and the final blast in April this year, work is continuing on the long and notoriously difficult Panjal railway tunnel in India to complete support lining including some necessary ground reinforcement work. Maurice Jones reports on the latest progress

From point A to point B
11 June, 2012
One of the most significant challenges of some projects starts long before the first bucket of earth has been shovelled. Hauling hundreds of tonnes of TBM components to a remote jobsite can make or break a project. Robbins technical writer Desiree Willis reports

Uncovering India
07 June, 2012
The enormity of tunnelling work planned and under way throughout India is incredible. This rapidly developing nation is drawing on the resources of the international tunnelling comminity to build the infrastructure needed to sustain growth. Alex Conacher gives this snap shot of just some of the works

India faces metro challenge
05 June, 2012
With a metro project in every major city, save Hyderabad, for now, India’s furious investment in infrastructure is just the beginning as its still largely rural population urbanises. However, difficulty securing construction permits is not the only damper on Indian tunnelling. Alex Conacher reports

Many ideas make light work cheaply
17 May, 2012
The lighting industry as a whole, including small specialist sectors such as tunnels, has been undergoing great changes in the last decade. Changes in light source technology, more product suppliers, low energy and maintenance requirements, and even the design of longer and wider tunnels are the leading factors in a sometimes confusing array of procurement considerations. Maurice Jones tries to unravel some of the major trends

Rock cavern design on the West Island Line
19 April, 2012
In 2011 two new underground stations on the West Island Line were under construction beneath dense urban areas. Only one MTR station rock cavern, Taikoo, had been constructed before, and in a much less challenging area. This paper by Eric Chui and Paul Lee of Atkins China, and Robert Mackean of Geo-Design Consulting Engineers, presents in outline the design concepts for Sai Ying Pun and Hong Kong University station caverns with site constraints, ground conditions and concept selection

Precast in practice
18 October, 2011
Water shortages, rogue quarries and supply constraints are tackled at the Peenya precast plant in India. Alex Conacher speaks with Yogini Vimalanathan of Mott MacDonald and Russell Brown of CEC

Basic tunnelling still a viable method
27 September, 2011
Al Tenbusch of small-bore tunnelling equipment manufacturer and supplier Tenbusch of Lewisville, Texas, describes the two main methods of hand mining and essential considerations